


Inheritance

by wincanon



Series: Sheith Puff Ficlets [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Sheith Babies, Sheith Puffs, family au, mentions of past illness, sheithpuffs, though not explicitly stated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-24 00:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15618750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wincanon/pseuds/wincanon
Summary: Shiro doesn’t even try to hide it. “I had a nightmare,” he says.“What was it this time?” Keith presses and Shiro turns his face into Keith’s touch and tries to relax.He swallows and closes his eyes, voice quiet when he says, “I dreamt that I passed my disease to Haru.” A tremor passes through his body and he sets on hand over Keith’s. “I watched him die.” He can’t stifle his sob this time and he feels movement on the bed. Keith is in his lap a moment later and Shiro lays his head on his chest. “I had to watch him fall apart.”(Part of a collective Sheith AU)





	Inheritance

Shiro’s nightmares are normally more violent. 

He’s used to blood and screaming. Memories of tearing out some nameless monster’s throats in the Galra Arena or of being trapped in the astral plane no matter how far or how long he runs. Over the years, many of his nightmares have slowly dispersed though some odd occurrence might trigger them every now and again. For the most part, he’s doing better -- a lot better. 

But tonight is different. 

Normally when he wakes from one, it’s to Keith shaking him awake and to his body covered in sweat with a scream dying in his throat. There’s always been that paralyzing fear, the kind that squeezes your heart until you fear it might explode in your chest. 

This time when Shiro wakes, it’s to tears on his cheeks. His body tremors with barely stifled sobs as he sits up straight, gently maneuvering Mitsuko from his chest before he does so. He brings his hands up to his face and wipes at the tears, running his prosthetic back through his hair and trying to steady himself with every shaky breath. 

The nightmare doesn’t fade from his mind. He can still see his son’s coffin every time he closes he blinks. 

“Shiro?” Shiro looks over at the soft voice, seeing Keith’s form barely outlined against the moonlight streaming in through the window. “Are you okay?”

Shiro doesn’t even try to hide it. He and Keith don’t keep anything from each other anymore. “I had a nightmare,” he says. He feels Keith’s hand on his cheek, smoothing back through his hair and hears his soft purr meant to calm him.

“What was it this time?” Keith presses and Shiro turns his face into Keith’s touch and tries to relax.

He swallows and closes his eyes, voice quiet when he says, “I dreamt that I passed my disease to Haru.” A tremor passes through his body and he sets on hand over Keith’s. “I watched him die.” He can’t stifle his sob this time and he feels movement on the bed. Keith is in his lap a moment later and Shiro lays his head on his chest. “I had to watch him fall apart.” He squeezes his eyes shut, tears slipping down his cheeks. _“It’s all my fault.”_

“Shhh,” Keith soothes, holding his head close. “It’s okay, it was just a dream. It’s not your fault. Haru is okay.” He nuzzles his face into Shiro’s hair and Shiro wraps his arms tight around Keith’s waist. “You didn’t have your disease anymore when we had him remember?” Keith asks.

“But what if-”

“No, it was all gone, Takashi,” Keith says, turning Shiro’s head until Shiro is looking right up at him, vision blurry with tears. “They’re healthy as can be, all of them.”

“But Haru is...he’s...”

“He’s healthy, Takashi,” Keith says firmly. “He’s just a little weaker than his brother, but he’s okay. He doesn’t have it. It’s a dominant disease gene, remember? If he had it, so would Akira and Mitsuko-” Shiro’s heart stops, his entire being overwhelmed at the possibility of such a thing and he clutches onto Keith’s t-shirt as another sob wracks his body and Keith quickly backtracks. “That’s not what I meant. If they had it, we would know. I _promise.”_ Keith presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth and Shiro can see the little grimace on his lips before he buries his face back against Keith’s chest. 

“Don’t they -- can’t we-?” He can’t finish a sentence between his gasping breaths. Keith rubs against his back until he can calm down enough to ask. “Can we get them tested?” His voice is quiet against the now damp fabric of Keith’s shirt. “I couldn’t live with myself if...if...”

“Of course we can,” Keith says. “We’ll get it done as soon as possible, okay?”

Shiro nods and wipes at his face. “Okay,” he says softly. 

“Lay back down,” Keith says and Shiro listens. As soon as he does, there’s a light weight placed on his chest and Shiro’s fingers find their way into Haru’s fur. His son grasps weakly at his hand and yawns wide before snuggling right up against his chin. Akira tucks back into his side and Mitsuko curls right up beside him while Keith organizes himself so that he curls protectively around their babies but still is in contact with Shiro. 

A deep _prrrrrrrr_ starts up and Shiro recognizes it as Keith’s and the steady rhythm of it causes Shiro’s heart to calm. Especially once another high pitched one joins it, and another, and another until his entire family purrs softly all around him, positively smothering him in their soft warm happiness. 

“Papa?” Akira’s voice is soft and sleepy and right close to his ear and Shiro’s heart squeezes at the sound of it. 

“Yes?”

There’s movement against his side and he feels the blankets being pulled around before Akira shuffles up close to him, holding something out though Shiro can barely make it out in the darkness. “Here Papa, don’t cry.”

Shiro taps into his prosthetic and the lines of his joints light up soft blue. In the dim lighting, he can see Akira offering him his little weblum plush. Already his eyes water again and he reaches out to take the plush from his son. “Thank you, starlight,” Shiro says, voice rough in his throat. There’s more movement and Mitsuko sits up, big eyes blinking owlishly against the light before she holds something out as well -- her blanket.

Shiro takes it, pulling Mitsuko to him and kissing her forehead to keep himself from crying again. She purrs and nuzzles against his cheek, babbling softly and Shiro clutches the blanket close to his chest alongside the weblum as she settles back to his side.

Haru kneads at his chest and Shiro sees his eyes trained on his face. Haru _chirpchirps_ softly and climbs off of his chest and down from the bed, disappearing from the reach of the light before he returns, Black Lion plush held tight in both of his arms as he waddles back over. Shiro reaches out to help him back up onto the bed where Haru climbs right up onto his chest, staring intently down at him. Then he pushes the lion plush close to his face, pressing its nose to Shiro’s.

 _“Boop,”_ Haru says, voice high and so so precious and Shiro has to cover his face to hide his tears. His shoulders shake with his sobs and Keith rubs at his back between his shoulder blades. 

When he can somewhat control himself again, he smiles and pulls all three close to him, squeezing them gently in his arms. “Thank you, my stars. You all always make me feel better.” He nuzzles each of them in turn, kissing their foreheads and trying to start his scratchy rumble. “I love you, Akira, Haru, Mitsuko.”

“I love you too, Papa,” Akira says.

“Luh you,” Haru says around a yawn.

Mitsuko nuzzles silently against him, eyelids already heavy with sleep once more.

“I love you, Takashi,” Keith says softly and Shiro looks up at him to see a gentle smile on his mate’s face. 

“I love you too,” Shiro answers.

With the collective warmth of his family around him, Shiro relaxes once more and falls asleep to the sounds of their purrs rumbling all around him, eased by their content scents into slumber.


End file.
